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One of the goals is to lower the overall cost to students of obtaining a BA/BS followed by a JD by reducing the time commitment from seven years to six. The new joint program will begin in fall 2014. From the University of Denver's press release:

With
an increasing focus on the cost of higher education and reducing
the amount of money and time individuals spend on their formal
education, the University of Denver now offers a joint degree program in
which students can earn a bachelor’s degree and a law degree in six
years instead of the typical seven.

The
6-year Bachelors/JD Program will place the University of Denver among
the ranks of just 16 other institutions across the United States that
offers similar degrees. Currently,
there are no such courses of study in Colorado.

“Students
admitted to the program will spend the first three years of their DU
careers fulfilling all of the requirements of their undergraduate
education,” said Martin L. Katz, Dean
of the Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver. “Their next
three years will be spent fulfilling the requirements of the Juris
Doctor degree.”

By
double-counting 39 hours of graduate law classes as elective
undergraduate credits, students in the 6-year Bachelors/JD Program will
be able to complete the requirements for the
two degrees a year early.

There are two opportunities for entrance into the program: pre-first year admission and junior year admission.

Pre-first
year admissions will be limited to students who have excellent
pre-admission predictors of college and graduate school success. These
predictors include superb high school
transcripts and premium SAT scores for high school graduates and
accomplished college transcripts for undergraduate students. These
scholars will have an interview with the College of Law Admissions
Committee or its delegate. Those with a strong and informed
interest in a law school education and a high level of maturity can be
admitted to the direct admissions track.

University
of Denver undergraduates in their junior year can apply for the 6-year
Bachelors/JD Program. Such students must have completed all requirements
for their undergraduate
education by the end of their junior year.

“More
students today are seeking multiple degrees,” said Katz. “They
recognize that getting a graduate degree, in addition to their B.A. or
B.S. degree, makes them more competitive
in the job market.”

Katz adds that this course of study will demand strict attention from its students.

“Requirements
for this program are rigorous,” Katz said. “We anticipate enrolling a
small number of DU undergraduate students with excellent academic
credentials and a strong desire
to pursue the many rewarding careers that earning a law degree allows.”

The
6-year Bachelors/JD Program is expected to begin the fall of 2014.